The Role and Place of Georgia in the Middle East Security Architecture of the 11th Century

Authors

  • George Narimanishvili Free University of Tbilisi

Keywords:

Georgia, Byzantine Empire, Caliphate of Fatimids, Seljuks, military coalition.

Abstract

This article is dedicated to one of the important episodes in the history of Georgia when our country was actively involved in the ongoing processes in the Caucasus and the Middle East and was an essential part of the regional security architecture. At the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century, the process of establishing a united state of Georgia was completed, and the stage of strengthening positions in the international arena began. In this process, it was important for the country to develop the right international policy and conduct active diplomacy. The discussion of the processes taking place in the mentioned era in the historical background allowed me to outline in relief the bases and reasons for the cooperation between Georgian and the Great Power states of that time and to present more completely the goals of the parties involved in the process and the results of the diplomatic relations. In particular, the article discusses the connections between Georgia, the Byzantine Empire, and the Fatimid Caliphate when all three countries faced the global threat, the Seljuk expansion, and it was decided to establish a unified security system. Historical sources tell us that in 1047, the rulers of different countries or their family members, including the sons of Georgian kings, came to Cairo on an official visit. This episode is likely connected with our country’s joining the international military coalition. Significantly, the coalition was formed between the countries that have been in sharp conflict with each other for decades due to religious differences and political conflicts. The main goal of making the coalition was to defend against common threats and to establish a joint regional security architecture.

Published

2023-12-22

How to Cite

Narimanishvili, George. 2023. “The Role and Place of Georgia in the Middle East Security Architecture of the 11th Century”. Free University Journal of Asian Studies, no. 5 (December). Tbilisi. https://journals.org.ge/index.php/asianstudies/article/view/139.

Issue

Section

ARTICLES